Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a flight, the engine ceased operation when the right fuel tank became depleted. The pilot then moved the fuel selector to the left tank, but the engine did not restart. This led to a forced landing in a creek bottom near powerlines.
Forced Landing Details
The pilot stated that due to the presence of powerlines in the vicinity, a downwind landing was required. The aircraft sustained damage during the landing.
Fuel Management
The aircraft had a fuel endurance of 4.4 hours with a total of 40 gallons of fuel on board. At the time of the incident, approximately 3.5 hours had elapsed since departure from the original point. The pilot estimated that the flight began with 20 gallons of fuel.